Also known as the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, this jewel was discovered in the Kollur Mines of the Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh in India. It presently weighs 31.06 carats (6.212 g) and is a gorgeous deep blue in colour. The original diamond is said to have been 35.56 carats (7.112 g) and was known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher. The 1700s make mention of the diamond in Munich when Archduchess of Austria Maria Amalia married Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor.

(The Bavarian crown that held the Wittelsbach; image courtesy of Luxuries.com)

The Wittelsbach Diamond first graced the Order of the Golden Fleece belonging to the Bavarian Elector in 1945. Maximilian IV Joseph von Wittelsbach took the throne as King of Bavaria in 1806 and he had a crown designed specifically to hold the diamond. The diamond stayed atop the crown until 1921 which is where it was last seen publicly. The World Expo was held in Brussels in 1958 and the diamond was put on exhibit. In 2008 the diamond was sold to jeweller Laurence Graff. In 2010 Graff had the stone recut (a decision that was met with a lot of heavy criticism) and it lost 4.45 carats (890 mg). It was renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond.

(The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond in the hands of Laurence Graff; image courtesy of Smithsonian Mag.)

Re-evaluation of the jewel by the Gemmological Institute of America revealed its colour grade “fancy deep blue”. The clarity of the diamond was upgraded to “internally flawless” (IF).

Taj-i-Mah

(Lower left corner: The Taj-i-Mah; image courtesy of Famous Diamonds.)

Taj-i-Mah means the Crown of the Moon. It is a colourless diamond weighing 115.06 carats (23.012 g), Mughal cut and not mounted. British diplomat Sir John Malcolm has made note of the Taj-i-Mah alongside the Darya-i-noor during his visit to the Iranian capital during the 19th century; saying The Crown of the Moon weighed 146 carats and that it was part of a bracelet. It is possible that the diamond was recut at some point of time in its past after the Diplomat’s visit to Persia.

It is currently a part of the collection of the Crown Jewels of Iran, Tehran.

Briolette of India

(The Briolette of India; image courtesy of Famous Diamonds.)

This particular diamond was discovered in the Kollur mines of the Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It weighs 90.38 carats (18.076 g) and is a colourless type IIa diamond in a briolette cut (pear shaped with facets). Historians believe that it is the oldest recorded diamond in the world; reports say that the queen consort of King Louis VII of France, Eleanor of Aquitaine, brought the diamond to England in the 12th century.

Historian Hans Nadelhoffer says the Briolette was cut into its shape in Paris after which it was sold to Cartier, who in turn sold it to American financier George Blumenthal in the form of a brooch with two 22-carat emeralds and a 126 grain pearl. It resurfaced in 1950 in the hands of jeweller Harry Winston who sold it to the wife of a Canadian millionaire from whose estate he purchased the diamond again after her death. Harry Winston then exhibited the diamond in 1970 after which he sold it to an unknown European individual.

The diamond is said to be in the possession of a European family presently.

( Illustration of the Sancy diamond from the Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok; image courtesy of Wikimedia.)

Discovered in the Kollur mines of the Guntur district, South India around the 1400s, the Sancy diamond is a pale yellow stone weighing 55.23 carats (11.046 g). It is in the shape of a shield and has an unusual cut wherein it has two crowns in place of the usual crown (the upper portion) and pavilion (the lower portion).

(The Sancy diamond, image courtesy of Museum Diamonds)

Nicolas de Harlay, seigneur de Sancy was a French diplomat who got a hold of the diamond when the claimant to the Portuguese throne, António, Prior of Crato sold it to him. Henry III of France is said to have borrowed the jewel from Sancy to adorn his cap. It is said that Sancy eventually sold it to James I who succeeded Queen Elizabeth in the 1600s which is when, it is believed, the jewel was christened the Sancy Diamond.

(Clockwise: The Regent diamond, The Sancy diamond and the Hortensia diamond on display at the Louvre; image courtesy of Board Host)

The diamond kept disappearing and resurfacing time and again between the 1600s and the 1900s. It disappeared alongside the Regent Diamond and the Hope Diamond during the French Revolution. It disappeared once more after it was sold to Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, an Indian prince, from the Demidov family collection in the 1800s. It made reared its head at the Paris Exposition in 1867 only to vanish again. A prominent family by the name Astor possessed it for 72 years after which it was sold for $1 million to the Louvre; which is where it rests to this day.

The Orlov Diamond

( Sketch of the Orlov Diamond from the book Precious Stones by Max Bauer, published in 1904; image courtesy of Wikimedia.)

This diamond was found in the Kollur mines during the early 1700s. History suggests that it passed through many hands before it reached Amsterdam where it was bought by Count Grigory Grigorievich Orlov, a man favoured immensely by Empress Catherine of Russia. It is said that he gave the diamond to her as a gift in an effort to win her back after their separation.

(The Imperial Sceptre that was designed to hold the Orlov diamond; image courtesy of The Enchantd Manor.)

The Orlov Diamond was named after the Count by the Empress and she had her jeweller design a sceptre especially to hold the diamond. The Imperial Sceptre now holds the diamond that is said to weigh 189.62 carats (37.924 g). The Orlov is white with a greenish-blue tinge and has what is known as an Indian rose-style cut but it also known for its unusual shape which is like that of half an egg.

This precious stone is now housed by the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin as a part of their collection.

The Great Mughal Diamond

( Drawing of the Great Moghul diamond, by Tavernier in 1676; image courtesy of Wikimedia.)

1650 is the year that is believed to be the one in which the Great Mughal Diamond was discovered in the Kollur mines of Andhra Pradesh. History suggests that the diamond in the rough weighed close to 700 carats and was gifted to Shah Jahan. A Venetian gem-cutter was hired who ground away at the diamond to rid it of its flaws but he ended up reducing the size and weight of the jewel to a great extent.

Famed traveller and jeweller Jean Baptiste Tavernier makes mention of the diamond in his book Six Voyages, describing it as rose cut stone, round and very high on one side with a slight crack on the lower edge and a small flaw.

( A replica of the Great Mughal Diamond; image courtesy of Wikimedia.)

It is said that the diamond disappeared when Nader Shah invaded India. Speculations are that it was cut and divided into smaller stones; rumours linking it to the Koh-i-noor, Darya-i-noor and most popular of all these speculations is that the Orlov Diamond is the Great Mughal Diamond in disguise and under a new name because it shares the same cut and colour. Its whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

A drawing of the Great Table Diamond done by Tavernier in 1676; image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Replicas of the Darya-i-noor, the Noor-ul-Ain and the Great Table Diamond; image courtesy of Museum Diamonds.

Darya-i-noor; image courtesy of Pinterest.

The Noor-ul-Ain Tiara; image courtesy of Sotheby’s.)

The Great Table Diamond is mentioned by French jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier in 1642; in his book and he calls it by the name Diamanta Grande Table hence it was christened so. The diamond is said to have graced the imperial throne of Shah Jahan the Mughal Emperor. The belief, according to a team of expert researchers is that this diamond may have been divided into two pieces that are known famously as the Darya-i Noor and the Noor-ul-Ain.

Darya-i-noor, Persian for Sea of Light, is a diamond that was mined from Kollur in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh during the 1700s. It is by far, one of the largest diamonds in the world, table cut, pale pink in colour weighing 186 carats (37.2 g). The Darya-i-noor belonged in the treasury of the Mughal Emperor but was taken along with other famed jewels by Iranian invader Nader Shah in the 1700s. Eventually it was passed down the line till it was lost to Mohammad Khan Qajar, of the Qajar dynasty of Iran. Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was said to favour the jewel and apparently, he wore it quite often. Ever since then it has been a part of their treasury. The diamond is mounted on a frame studded by 457 smaller diamonds and 4 rubies and it is now part of Iran’s Imperial Crown Jewels Collection.

(Clockwise: Farah Diba Last Empress Of Iran with the Noor-ul-Ain Diamond Tiara; image courtesy of Pinterest.

The Noor-ul-Ain, meaning ‘Light of the Eye’, is a pale pink oval cut brilliant diamond, weighing approximately 60 carats (12 g) now. It originated from the Kollur mines in the Guntur district. The diamond is currently the centrepiece of the imperial tiara designed by Harry Winston for the Empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi (Farah Diba) on the occasion of her wedding to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It is set in platinum and is surrounded by pink yellow and white diamonds, 324 of them in all. It is currently a part of the Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels Collection.

(Clockwise: The Koh-i-noor diamond, The crown of the British monarch, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, images courtesy of Pinterest and Getty Images.)

The Koh-i-noor Diamond; Persian for Mountain of Light, was discovered in the 13th century in the Kollur mines of the Guntur District. It is an oval-cut brilliant, colourless diamond presently weighing 105.602 carats (21.1204 g) that is infamous for its long and bloodied history. It has passed through many royal hands, the likes of which are Alauddin Khalji, Babur, Humayun, ShahJahan, Aurangzeb, Nader Shah, Shah Shujah Durrani, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh upon whose death the diamond was surrendered to Queen Victoria (the reigning Queen of England at the time) and it is now set in the Crown of the Monarch of the United Kingdom and a few Commonwealth realms; Queen Elizabeth II.

(Clockwise: Socialite Evalyn Walsh, the diamond being exhibited, the Hope Diamond in the original setting and the diamond in the new setting designed by Harry Winston. Images courtesy of Pinterest)

The Hope Diamond is an antique cushion cut blue diamond, now weighing 45.52 carats (9.104 g) that was originally discovered in the Kollur mines in the 17th century. It made its way into the hands of French Gem Merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier as the Tavernier Blue after which it was cut and sold to King Louis XIV. Years later it showed up in the collection of banker Thomas Hope which is where it got its name; Hope Diamond. The diamond was sold to socialite Evalyn Walsh whom the diamond has adorned on numerous occasions. Harry Winston was the last to be in possession of it before he handed it over to the Smithsonian.

(Clockwise: The Regent Diamond, Napoleon, the Regent Diamond on the hilt of Napoleon’s sword, Marie Antoinette, Empress Eugenie and the Regent on display at the Apollon at the Louvre Museum. Images courtesy of Pinterest, Art Net, Interest Planet and Obsidian Wings.)

The Regent Diamond now weighs 141 carats (28.2 g) and is a cushion cut brilliant, also known as the Pitt diamond and it has quite a chequered past, as do most gems of high value; especially diamonds. It was discovered by a slave in the Paritala mines of the Krishna district during the 1700s. The slave stole the diamond and found a sea captain with whom he struck a deal for safe passage but greed blinded the captain who murdered the slave and sold the diamond to an Indian merchant after which he took his own life. The diamond was sold to Governor Thomas Pitt of Ft. George; that is where it got its name – the Pitt Diamond. More than a decade later it was sold to the Regent of France which is when it was renamed the Regent Diamond. It passed through the hands of Marie Antoinette (on her velvet hat), Napoleon (the hilt of his sword) and Empress Eugenie (studded on her diadem) until it found its way back onto French soil and was put on display at the Apollon Gallery of the Louvre Museum where it is housed to this day.

If you would, so kindly, follow us (hypothetically speaking) down to the southern part of India, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana specifically, we could begin to talk about the treasure trove of valuable stones that the region has birthed.

(Image of the map of Andhra Pradesh, courtesy of mapsofindia.com)

What we have here are famous diamonds that have lent said fame to Golconda (the well-known citadel located in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and are popularly known as the Golconda Diamonds. In fact (as per the word of Historians) diamonds were never actually found in the rough in the Golconda area but were discovered in mines located in the districts of Krishna and Guntur (along the Coastal Andhra line).

Apparently, Historians say that Golconda used to serve as the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty at one point; as a result, the movement of said diamonds was reportedly, to and from Golconda. Hence, the popular name; Golconda Diamonds.

Historians report the existence of a number of diamond mines that were located in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, namely Kollur (in the Guntur district) and Paritala (in the Krishna district). The Qutb Shahis and Nizams profited greatly from the mining of these stones during their reign. Krishna valley, alongside the river Krishna is said to be an area rich in Kimberlite. Kimberlite is an igneous rock which has been known to contain diamonds in the rough. So far, several private companies are also currently working in the Krishna alluvial areas which experts have claimed have a high potential where diamonds are concerned because of the kimberlite reserves which have produced some of the world’s best diamonds in the past.

(Image of a Kimberlite diamond, courtesy of thermofisher.com)

Some of those diamonds are the Koh-i-noor, the Hope Diamond, the Regent/Pitt Diamond, The Orlov Diamond, the Great Moghul Diamond, the Nizam Diamond, and the Dresden Green Diamond among quite a few others.

(Sketches of the Kohinoor and Regent from circa 1860, courtesy of cnn.com)